


I Thought He Was Yours

by PhoenixLumen



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 13:52:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixLumen/pseuds/PhoenixLumen
Summary: The Qliphoth has been cut down, Yamato sealing the portal between the demon-world and the human-world, sealing them in the demon-world in the process.And yes, it might be them, but they have to do more than just fighting.So they talk in-between fights (or is it fight in-between talks?) and each of them learns something new about the other...and about how Nero most *definitely* should have been nowhere near Fortuna.





	I Thought He Was Yours

It’s yet another pause in between their constant series of battles in the demon world when the memory of Vergil finally acknowledging what he’d said about Nero being his son hits him, and he looks over at his brother. It doesn’t take long for his gaze to be returned.

“What?”

“Nah, it’s just…” Dare he even bring something like this up? Right when he’s finally got Vergil doing those tiny smirks between what feel more like sparring sessions now, not fights to the death?

“Tell me.” Vergil’s always had this way about him, this seriousness that _makes_ you want to follow his orders.

“You owe me a story.” An eyebrow raises in question. “I told you he was your son, and you immediately knew…ya know, the _exact_ time when you…” He casually waves a hand, letting the motion fill in the missing words. How the hell does he even put it politely?

“When he was conceived?” For the briefest moment, it looks like Vergil is about to leap off the floor to attack, and he tenses minutely in preparation. Only…

“You’re smiling!” It disappears mere milliseconds after he says it, but he _knows_ what he saw, okay?

“What? No I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were! Ha! Man, she must’ve been a real doozy if she managed to gain your attention.” Seriously though, because the way his brother acted, he’d thought the man was one of those, ya know, those not sexually… Whatever, this is getting weird to think about.

“Just the one?” is smirkingly asked in his direction as its bearer stands, sword in hand.

“One wha-” Wait, is Vergil saying what he _thinks_ he’s saying? “Wait a second. Twins?”

“…Closer.” No, no he _can’t_ mean what _that_ means, because-

“ ** _Triplets_**? Verge, if any devil has the devil’s luck, it’s you if that’s the case. Come on, man. Tell me the story.” A headshake is his only answer, his brother settling into his wide stance, sword high up and over his hip.

He pauses, shakes his head. He’ll get the story out of the other at some point, because _triplets_? He’s gonna keep asking until Verge is annoyed and just blurts it out. He knows that’ll work, because it always does.

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

“And that’s one to me!” Vergil practically crows, and he lets his head slam back against the stupid purplish-grey ground the demon-world has going on for it. He’s just happier they’re going up and down and balancing it out, because if he had to keep track of how many spars they’ve had…

Hang on, how long exactly has it been since they destroyed the Qliphoth roots?

…

Dammit, this is why he hates the demon-world. No stupid ass way to properly keep time. And he definitely needs a shower at this point.

“I thought he was yours,” Vergil suddenly speaks up, and he tilts his head to look at him. What the hell is he on about now? “Nero,” he clarifies, and he blinks at his twin.

“You thought… Nero…” Thoughts circle around his mind, none able to settle fully in his mind. “ _Mine_?”

“Your eloquence is truly astounding, brother.” A sigh, and his sword is placed on the floor as he moves to sit cross-legged.

“Wait, so… When you… _separated_ yourself from your devil-half… You thought you were bringing your _nephew_ to the fight? That’s not much better than it being your _son_ , Verge.”

“…If my brother could not defeat my devil-side, perhaps I thought only another of Sparda’s blood could do so.” It sounds like there’s more to it than that, but the likelihood of Vergil going deeper into it doesn’t seem likely right now. “He acts…very much like you.”

Nero…Nero kinda does, and it had caused his own crisis when he’d first met the boy before he’d had some time to think about things. Except he’d then done some calculations and it had just been a complete impossibility. He’d thought the boy might have been a child of some other devil, except…the Yamato. The way it reacted to him…

“He basically came that mouthy.” He chuckles, moving to sit cross-legged opposite his brother. “I suppose occasionally spending time around myself might have added to it, but that mechanic-friend of his…”

“Yes, she does have a certain way about her, doesn’t she?” The half-smile makes him pause for a moment, but then he realises just how much ‘V’ is a part of ‘Vergil’. Huh, had his experiences as a human changed him _this_ much? The month in-between their original attack on ‘Urizen’, and Nero and ‘V’ coming back for them… Had the two spent any time together then? If they had, it’s possible the two had spent more time with each other than he and Nero had.

“You’ve known he was my-…your nephew for some time then?” Now, that’s not like you Verge. To change your mind mid-sentence about what you want to say.        

“‘Know’ is a bit of an iffy word for it. It’s not like there’s been a test developed to track devil heritage.” Not that he knows of. But that Nico, she might know something about it, or could think something up if asked. He’s not really too certain about the whole DNA aspect of it, because there has to be _something_ there in demons and devils given how he and Vergil exist, but he does _not_ have the know-how to think about it too deeply.

“Hm…” A few minutes of peace seems weird between them, what with all that’s happened between them, but it happens. It’s…not the worst thing in the world. “But a fair degree of time?”

“Ya know, you could just ask me how long I’ve known him…where I met him…his favourite colour.” He ends with a jest, something to try and lighten the mood. It works, as it makes Vergil scoff at him, moving to stand.

Ah, round…ten thousand and one…or whatever they’re at now.

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

Round _whatever_ gets interrupted by a horde of something he’s never seen before, and they split the field between them. Unfortunately, there’s an equal number of opponents, and it ends in a draw.

“I found him in Fortuna, ya know,” he idly comments as he moves against a rock, sliding down to lean against it. Across the cave they’ve found, something in which they can get some sleep, his brother mimics him, letting Yamato rest across his folded legs.

“Nero?” Vergil asks, and when he rolls his eyes and nods in response…he doesn’t quite get the part of the story he was expecting. “That’s impossible.” He waits for Vergil to clarify, only-

“You can’t just say something like that and not explain it, Verge.”

“My…encounter with the triplets was several hundred miles away. Why would he be anywhere near there? A demon-hunt?” But he doesn’t hear the questions. Instead, his mind has finally focused on something that had struck him as odd the second he heard it, but hadn’t fully _realised_ was odd.

“Verge, I gotta ask. The triplets. It… I know it probably wasn’t the world’s longest relationship of _any_ sort, but… Did any of them strike you as the type to abandon their son, or their nephew?” He’s never wanted to see his brother look so pole-struck, but he does. Apparently he hadn’t considered what three siblings might do for one another in relation to family; understandable given their relationship. Then again, if he’d been nineteen or twenty, had been told about his baby/toddler nephew, would he have taken him in?

…

Fuck, of course he would have. His family is _family_.

“No, they wouldn’t. And they would have been even less likely to go to Fortuna than we would.” Okay then, clearly that meant these triplets had more than a slight tinge of the supernatural in them then. “Family is…was… _is_ not just blood to them, or power. It is a…a clan of offence and defence.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t get them to fight with you then, if they’ve got power. ‘Cause if you managed to land triplets, man…” Truly, he has no idea how an ice-cube like his brother could land triplets.

“That was not my intention.” A few minutes pass as Vergil looks at him intently, as though eyeing him up for information. Or judging him somehow. He’d say something, but it looks like they’re getting down to the real nitty-gritty stuff now. “It was a bargain I struck with their mother, with their permission. Twenty-four hours with each daughter, in return for both combat and magic lessons.” His brother’s gaze…definitely isn’t meeting his gaze, and he understands why, because holy _shit_. Vergil’s just said he sold himself to increase his deadliness. Basically whored himself out so as to become stronger.

 _Fuuuuuck_.

Except… Vergil might not be meeting his gaze, but he’s not exactly emoting any sort of anger, or frustration, or any _bad_ emotions. In fact, if he’s reading the other correctly enough…

“You enjoy it?” For the briefest moment, their eyes meet, only for Vergil’s gaze to fixate on some point over his shoulder.

“It was…educational.” He rolls his eyes in response to the somewhat blank answer.

“Fine, but did you _enjoy_ it? Clearly you popped off inside at least one…of them…” Holy _fuck_ , what about if more than one of them got pregnant? Another kid like Nero, out there in the world? That’s… His brother, with more than one kid?

“It was… Yes, it _was_ enjoyable.” But his brother’s gaze finally meets him again. “What?”

“ _What_?” Does he even dare mention it to him? If his brother hasn’t understand his words for once…

“You have _that_ look on your face. One which never bodes well for anyone.”

“Nah, it’s nothing much.” Quick, find something else to talk about! “He’s gonna be so pissed off with us when we get back.” When, not if. It _has_ to be when.

“Hm……You mentioned you knew, or _thought_ rather, that he was my son.” It’s not a question, but he nods anyway. “How long have you two known each other?”

“Fortuna was, what, six years ago? Seven maybe?” Vergil slowly nods at that.

“And did you ever mention to him your thoughts about his lineage?”

“Never came up,” he quickly responds. There might have been a few questions asked about his brother, after hearing the story of how he and Lady, and then he and Trish, first met. But he didn’t exactly go into much history between him and his brother. “Why’d you ask?”

“…You do realise that, with how similar you look to each other, the way you act, your choice in weapons… He likely thought _you_ were his father.” Vergil’s words hit him like the bitch-slap from Nero’s Devil Trigger, because ho-ly _shit_! The boy’s _never_ given him that impression, but thinking on Vergil’s words _now_ …they make sense. “Thought you would not acknowledge him due to your enemies perhaps, but a father nonetheless.”

“Verge, I-”

“Get some rest, Dante. We’ll begin again tomorrow.”

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

“Vergil, you awake?”

“………”

“Yo, Verge! You awake?”

“…Yes, Dante. I _am_ awake.”

“Good good. I can’t sleep.”

“I never would have guessed.”

“ _Yeah_ …”

“Was there a point-”

“I let him keep the Yamato. Even though only a few minutes before, I said it should stay in the family, that it was your sword, he…”

“He what?”

“He looked down at the sword he was holding with his transformed arm, and all I could see was you. The way he just… Urgh, I can’t describe it properly.”

“Does…does he even need a father, Dante?”

The question, the sheer raw emotion behind it, makes him open his eyes, and he looks at him through the murky twilight streaming in through the cave’s entrance.

“A father? Maybe not. He’s what? Twenty-six? Seven? Old enough to have lived a life and learnt his lessons. But a friend? Someone to watch his back? He might need that more.”

“Hmm……”

“Besides, I gotta feeling the kid’ll want to know about his…let’s call it background. His mom, why he grew up ‘abandoned’ in Fortuna… That sorta thing.”

“…Yes, those would be some answers to acquire, wouldn’t they?”

“……Probably for the best you mention nothing about the whole trading-for-time thing you had going on.”

“…Probably.”

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

“You think we’ll ever get out of here?” he asks after round fifty-thousand and four, or nine, or whatever, and he pants as he bends over, his hands on his knees.

“Maybe. Why? You in a rush?”

“Not a rush, just… I’m missing pizza, and a shower. And I can’t tell which I’m missing more, which is weird.” Pizza normally wins over everything, which has startled a few delivery people when he’s answered the door half-coated in blood and demon-detritus.

“I take it pizza normally wins?”

“You tryin’ to say something about how I smell?”

“With your _nose_ , one would hope.”

“Oh haha, Mister Hilarious over here thinks he has a sense of humour.” Now _there’s_ that dry wit he’s missed from Vergil.

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

“You thanked him,” he begins, as they rest after another interruption by a pack of demons, “but you’re going to have to apologise to him, ya know?”

“Yes, that is something I am fully aware of.” Verge opens his mouth as though to say something, but stops before the first burst of air can escape. Does his brother even know _how_ to apologise?

“You ripped off his arm before, when you thought he was only your nephew. Now that you know he’s your son…”

“I was dying, Dante.” And that is not what he wanted to hear, because the _connotations._ “I have no idea what I was thinking, not really. I remember…I remember not wanting to die. Remembered hearing Yamato calling to me.” _That_ …is something to think about later. “And I remember… _taking_ the Yamato from him.” And the sudden look of horror that crosses Vergil’s face tells him his brother’s telling the truth, that he knew but didn’t really _remember_. “Dante, I _tore_ my son’s _arm_ off him.”

“…I know, Verge. I know.”

“Dante. I have a _son_.” Horrified awe?

“Yup.”

“I have a son, and _you’re_ an uncle.” Now why the _hell_ does that make him sound horrified? He makes a pretty kickass uncle, even if he does say so himse- “My _son_ acts like _you_. That’s…”

“Hey! I am not the worst role-model in the world.”

“……”

“I’m _not_!” Vergil scoffs, and he hears his clothes rub against each other as he turns more to face the wall. “Verge, he’s… Nero’s…”

“Tomorrow, Dante.”

“…Fine.”

(XXXXXXXXXXI[===========================================>

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: I will state freely that I have never played a DMC game, only watched playthroughs and done research on a few wikis. That said, I think I understand a little of the dynamic between them.  
> Also, I think there are a few unanswered questions within the game, and having watched the same playthrough three or four times, I think I’ve managed to write about a few of them.  
> DMC5 seems to play off V thinking Nero is Dante’s son, and if you watch/play through it again with that thought in mind, some of the interactions get a whole lot more personal…and funny. The one with Vergil, when he’s just been reborn, and Dante tells Nero to ‘get out of my way!’ Nero is nowhere in his way, but it’s like he’s trying to protect him without overtly protecting him. Or every time he tells Nero to ‘go home’, he’s trying to get Nero out of danger or dangerous situations. Or the May 15th cutscene, where V ‘retreats’ for his ‘insurance policy’, and Dante calls him ‘no-one special’ before he, Trish, and Lady go to attack Urizen; you can’t say that’s not funny knowing that he’s saying it about the brother he ‘hates’.  
> Seriously, DMC5 with mental introspection from Dante… It feels like half of it would just be ‘protect Nero’ and ‘keep Nero out of danger’ and ‘I still can’t believe icy Vergil has a son, and after all the sex I’ve had, I don’t have one!’  
> Obviously, I’ve added my own twist on things, like it being ‘triplets’ and Vergil’s encounter with them being nowhere near Fortuna, which creates a bit of mystery (I hope) as to why exactly he’s ended up there. And there had to be a reason for Vergil to be in the position to conceive a child, and the search for power seemed like the most logical answer to that, in my opinion.  
> I do have vague plans for a continuation of this, but it won’t be for some time, with Uni work picking up for the end of the year. We’ve got to get these two back to the human-world (somehow), got to have some sort of interaction between Nero and Vergil, find out what happened to his mother and her siblings, and why he was in Fortuna. Seriously…plans.


End file.
